John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Seán Kyne, for taking this question. Unfortunately, it is not the Minister of State, Deputy Kevin "Boxer" Moran. Arklow, like a number of towns in County Wicklow, is susceptible to serious flooding, and there have been some very serious flooding events in Arklow over the recent years, both in terms of river flooding and coastal flooding. Thankfully, after a number of years, there is now talk of putting a flood defence along the Avoca River. That is at design stage.

There was some limited flooding along the Avoca River at South Quay during Storm Ophelia. Thankfully, it was not of a serious nature, but there is another serious problem on North Beach in Arklow. It is an historical issue. In 1989, after a very serious flood and storm event, thankfully, flood prevention measures were put in place. They were completed in November 1990 at a cost of £2.2 million. That was 27 years ago.

Over those 27 years, North Beach has taken a hammering, and there has been serious damage caused to the flood protection measures there. The work that was carried out there in 1990 was supposed to be the first phase of a two-phase scheme. The second phase never happened. That would have protected the existing flood protection measures that are there. It would have consisted of a number of sea groynes going out into the sea and that would have created the replenishment of the beach area in front of the current flood protection measures, and that would have broken the waves away from the sea wall, and taken the pressure and the power from the waves but that never happened. We have a situation now where the waves are crashing into the rock armour at North Beach on an ongoing basis, and as I said, serious damage has been caused to those measures.

Wicklow County Council, in February of last year, commissioned a report on the condition of the flood protection measures in that area. It was carried out by J.P. Byrne Consulting Engineers. That report was presented to Government along with a number of applications for funding.

The issues identified in that consulting engineers' report make grave reading. It talks about weak areas developing in the base of the flood protection works. It talks about open areas of the rock armour that have been literally torn apart and opened up. It states there are areas completely undermined extending for 50 m in one section. It talks about other areas that are completely undermined and weakened as a result of consecutive storms.

In Storm Ophelia, North Beach took a hammering with waves not only bashing into, but overtopping, the rock armour. A number of things have happened. The pedestrian walk along the top of the rock armour has essentially been washed away. There is a caravan park in the local area and it caused extensive damaged in that caravan park.

A number of applications have been submitted to the Department seeking funding, not only to carry out essential remedial repair work to the existing flood protection measures but also to carry out the second phase which, unfortunately, never happened. That would give effect to protecting the first phase of work.

Hopefully, the Minister of State will have a positive response. Extensive work has gone in to this project by the engineer in Wicklow County Council who has submitted a number of applications. Consultant reports have come in. I spoke to the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, on the issue yesterday. I briefly outlined the matter to him. I have to give the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, a more thorough report and he has said he will come to Arklow to have a look at it as well. I hope the Minister of State will have a more up-to-date report on it.

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